Dieter Dietz and Sarah Nichols convened the Fondation Culture du bâti Suisse’s second annual symposium, titled “Culture du bâti dans l’existant / Baukultur im Bestand,” on 23 and 24 November 2021 focusing on building in and with the existing context.
Over two days, lectures, round tables and workshops addressed this theme in two different ways: in terms of building with what we have (Inventory) and in terms of building in and for what exists (Context). Inventory is used here to refer to all elements of the land and ecosystem, such as flora and fauna, structures, material resources, ownership and ownership relationships or skills. In addition, Context refers to the environment surrounding a given project. How can social constructs, cultural values or identities be meaningfully associated with a specific project? How should the built context be read and interpreted within the overall social and ecological context? How can an extension enhance existing qualities? How can externalized problems be revealed and avoided?
The first day of the event at EPFL’s Forum Rolex gathered planners, researchers, project developers, public authorities, and the construction industry to discuss the concept of inventory in building practices. Frédérique Aït-Touati gave a presentation titled “Comment saisir les nouveaux visages de la Terre ?” discussing the evolving perceptions and representations of Earth through various artistic and scientific experiments, including collaborations with Bruno Latour and others, to address the planet’s changing nature. A roundtable titled “Construir dans l’existant : économiser les ressources et régénérer les écosystèmes” featured Sophie Heu Reignier, Benjamin Poignon, Maria Lisogorskaya, and Corentin Fivet, who discussed the challenges and practices of building within existing ecosystems by utilizing available resources and structures to develop responsible construction processes. In the afternoon, participants joined workshops exploring the concept of building with the existing, not only historically but also in terms of ecology, culture, and infrastructure. The day concluded with a conversation titled “Comment atterrir?” between Terrabloc and Faz architects, which addressed the excesses of current building methods and explored a paradigm shift toward more grounded practices.
Thomas Hirschhorn. © Julien Heil
The second day began with Fondation CUB organizing a series of three walks titled “Explorer le contexte existant de Lausanne,” allowing participants to experience and discuss Baukultur in situ as they explored the city’s development with guidance from specialists. After conducting parallel fieldwork in the region, participants reconvened at the new Plateforme 10 museum complex in central Lausanne for discussions on the theme of “Context.” These discussions, involving committed citizens, focused on how existing design projects address various scales and contexts, including strategies for retaining the qualities of communities, cities, and landscapes amid radical changes required by the climate crisis, and preserving landscapes as cities expand. The conference concluded with Thomas Hirschhorn presenting his public exhibition “Robert Walser-Sculpture,” which took place in Biel in 2019. Hirschhorn’s presentation questioned the nature of art, redefining sculpture as “social sculpture” and emphasizing accessibility, active participation, and themes of marginality and artistic failure.